Governor carburetor control valve and actuator



Aug, 3G, m mam-naw, m

GOVERNOR CARBURETOR CONTROL VALVE AND ACTUTOR Filed Dec. 21, 1962 United States Patent O M' 3,269,376 GOVERNR CARBURETOR CONTRUL VALVE AND ACTUA'EGR Ranxuaid B. Locher, 1r., Madison Heights, Mich., assigner to Holiey Carburetor Company, Warren, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Dec. 21, 1962, Ser.. No. 247,473 3 Claims. (Cl. 12S-103) This invention relates to engine governors, and more particularly to a novel combined actuator and control valve for a vacuum type governor.

A type of engine governor to which the invention re- 1ates is disclosed in Larges 3,000,388 wherein engine manifold and/or carburetor venturi vacuum are supplied to a diaphragm throttle actuator device which is connected so as to close the carburetor throttle plates, against the force of a spring urging the throttle plates open, whenever a clean air bleed line is closed by a centrifugally unbalanced governor control valve driven by the engine, or by some device driven by the engine. Other generally similar governors may employ vacuum from an independent source or a fluid under positive pressure, such as engine oil, to drive the throttle actuator device.

While the invention contemplates the use of a throttle actuator device similar to that shown in the above Larges patent, one object of the `invention is to provide a more compact and efective arrangement of the throttle actuator and the centrifugal governor control valve.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vacuum type governor having a shorter response time, as compared to present governor systems of this kind, by elimi nating the usual conduitry that must be evacuated between the throttle actuator and the governor control valve assembly.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel governor control valve assembly characterized by reduced inertia and more effective mass working the valve.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reference to the following specification and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view, with portions thereof cut away and in cross section, of a carburetor equipped with a governor embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the plane of line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the plane of line 3-3 of FIGURE l and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, FIGURES l and 2 illustrate a carburetor 10 mounted on an engine manifold 12 and having an induction passage 14 containing a venturi restriction 16 and a conventional throttle valve 18 mounted on a shaft 20, one end of which is rotationally supported in a bearing 22 provided in a boss 24 extending from the side of the carburetor. The carburetor and boss 24 are formed with one passage 26 leading from the venturi and another passage 28 leading from the induction passage below the throttle plate 18, both of said passages extending to the outer face of the boss 24.

A combined throttle actuator and governor control valve assembly generally designated 30 is secured to the boss 24 in any suitable manner. The assembly 30 is pre- 3,269,376 Patented August 39, 13136 ICC ferably constructed from three separate generally cylindrical castings or other suitably formed members 32, 34 and 36, the lower casting being formed to provide recesses 38 and 40, the former recess being closed by a gasket 42 and cover plate 44.

The throttle shaft 20 extends through the wall of the casting 32 and into the chamber 46 and has rigidly secured thereto a lever 48 which is urged by the spring 50 in a direction to open the throttle valve 18. The arm 52 of the lever 48 has pivotally secured thereto one end of a link S4 passing through the opening 56 formed in the casting, the other end of the link being secured in any suitable manner to the center of the circular exible diaphragm 58 which is clamped at its periphery between castings 32 and 34.

The intermediate casting 34 is formed to provide annular recesses 60 and 62 separated by a wall 64. The lower recess 60 provides a vacuum chamber 66 having the diaphragm 58 asa movable wall thereof.

Branch passages 68 and 70 having calibrated restrictions 72 therein communicate between the passages 26 and 28, respectively, and a passage 74 formed in the casting 32, which, together with the opening 76 in the diaphragm 58 and the passage 78 in the intermediate casting 34 communicate venturi and/or manifold vacuum to the diaphragm chamber 66.

The wall 64 of the intermediate casting 34 is formed with an opening 80 to receive a bearing member 82, and the cover 36 is formed with a similar opening 84 to receive a bearing member 86 aligned with the bearing member 82.

The passage 88 in the cover 36 is connected by a very short conduit 90 to the passage 92 leading to the air induction passage 14 of the carburetor.

The chamber 94 formed by assembling of the cover 36 over the recess 62 contains the governor control valve assembly 96 which comprises a rotor member 97 having an intermediate portion 98 and aligned end journal portions 100 and 102 received in the bearings 82 and 86, respectively. The intermediate portion 98 of the rotor engages the inner ends of the bearings 82 and 86 and is formed with a transverse passage i104, a portion of which is enlarged and formed to provide a chamber 106 and a valve seat 108, the face of the valve seat having a uid flow passage 110 communicating with the chamber 94.

The upper journal portion 102 of the rotor is formed with any suitable means for driving the rotor, the means shown being an axial opening 103 adapted to receive a non-circular end of a drive cable (not shown) enclosed in a sheath which may be threaded on the threads 112 of the cover 36. The lower journal portion 100 is formed with :an axial passage 114 communicating between chambers 66 and 106.

A valve member 116 is positioned in the transverse passage 104 of the rotor, the valve member having end stern portions 118 and 120 and an intermediate enlarged valve portion 122 having a conical surface 124 adapted to engage the face of the valve seat 108 and close the fluid ow passage 110. A spring seat member 126 having a central opening to slidably receive the stem 118 is positioned in the intermediate portion 98 of the rotor, and the free end of the stem `118 is threaded to receive an internally threaded adjustable spring seat 128. The compression spring .-130 is positioned between the spring seats 126 and 128 so as to retain the valve 122 against 3 spring seat 126, as shown in FIGURE 1, when the rotor is not driven.

The other valve stern 120 is also threaded for the purpose of assembling thereon an internally threaded weight 132, the Weight having a diametric 4groove 134 to enable the assembly and/or the adjustment thereof along stem 120 through the plugged access 136 opening formed in the wall of the intermediate casting 34. Both the weight 132 and the spring seat 128 may be provided with any suitable locking means for retaining them on the valve stems 120 and 118 in any desired position.

The rotor 97 and the valve member 116 are preferably formed of some suitable light-weight plastic material such as delrin, while the weight is preferably formed from a heavier metal.

Operation In a governed carburetor such as that shown, it is common practice to provide a well-known dog mechanism (not shown) at the other end of the throttle shaft to limit the extent to which the spring 50 may open the throttle plate 18. Thus, while the dog mechanism is manually controlled by the engine operator, the governor throttle actuator mechanism 90 is capable of closing the throttle valve 18 against the force of the spring 50 at governed speed regardless of the position of the manually controlled dog mechanism.

So long as the engine is operating, manifold and/or venturi vacuum is communicated through the appropriate passages to the vacuum chamber 66, and this vacuum is suicient to urge the diaphragm iupwardly in FIGURE l to close the throttle plate in the manner explained in the above referenced Larges patent. However, the vacuum is depleted at rotor speeds below governed speed by the bleed air supplied from the induction passage 14 to the chamber 66 through passage 92, conduit 90, passage 88, chamber 94, passage 110, chamber 106 and passage 114. The calibration and adjustment of the spring 130 and the mass and radial position of the Weight 132 will, of course, determine the rotational speed of the rotor 97 at which the valve 116 will move to the left in FIGURE 1 under the influence of centrifugal force to progressively restrict and finally close the air bleed passage 110 so as to evacuate the chamber 66.

In other words, vacuum is continuously supplied to the vacuum chamber 66; however, so long as the speed of the engine or other device driving the rotor 97 remains below governed speed, clean substantially atmospheric air will be free to flow to the chamber 66 so as to deplete the vacuum and prevent upward actuation of the diaphragm 58 and closing of the throttle 18. When governed speed is reached, the orice 116 is restricted or closed so as to restrict or prevent the flow of bled air, thereby allowing an immediate build up of vacuum in the chamber 66 and actuation of the diaphragm to close the throttle valve 18 against the force of the spring 5t).

In contrast to the Larges construction referred to above, it will be noted that the compact arrangement of the throttle actuator and the governor control valve assembly contemplated by this invention eliminates the iusual relatively long conduits between these elements, which, because they have to be evacuated, reduce the response time of the governor. The elimination of the conduitry also greatly reduces the possibility of governor failure due to the conduits being accidentally damaged or kinked.

The inertia of the governor is reduced by the fact that the valve element is made from a light material, while the weight is made from a heavier material, which tends to eliminate governor surging and permits governing at lower speeds.

The novel governor control valve construction having the externally threaded stem portions provides maximum flexibility in the calibration of the valve; that is,

the governed speed may be determined by the initial selection and subsequent adjustment of the spring 131) and/or by the initial selection and the subsequent adjustment of the weight 132.

The transverse wall 64 of the intermediate casting 34 serves not only as a support for the rotor 97 by also permits direct communication without the use of conduits between the vacuum chamber 66 and the valvecontrolled air bleed passage 110.

It should be apparent that the invention is applicable not only to vacuium type governor systems, but also to positive pressure type governors previously referred to.

While but one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is apparent that other modifications of the invention may be possible within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a carburetor having an induction passage controlled by a throttle valve urged in the opening direction by a spring, a combined governor throttle actuator and control valve assembly, said assembly comprising a housing formed in :a manner to provide a pair of adjacent generally cylindrical and axially-aligned chambers having a common end wall therebetween, one of said chambers having a flexible diaphragm forming the other end wall thereof, said diaphragm being connected to said throttle valve in a manner to close the same against the force of said spring when subjected to vacuum, a continuously open conduit between a source of vacuum and said one chamber, means for supplying air from said induction passage to said one chamber through the other of said chambers, and centrifugally unbalanced valve rotatably mounted in the end walls of said other chamber and forming a part of said air supply means, said valve being constructed and arranged to cut off said air supply at some predetermined speed of rotation thereof and thereby apply vacuum to said diaphragm.

2. In a carburetor having an induction passage controlled by a throttle valve urged in the opening direction by a spring, a combined governor throttle actuator and control valve assembly, said assembly comprising a housing formed in a manner to provide a pair of adjacent generally cylindrical and axially-aligned chambers having outer end walls and a common wall therebetween, one of said chambers having a llexible diaphragm forming the outer end wall thereof, said diaphragm being connected to said throttle valve in a manner to close the same against the force of said spring when subjected to vacuum, a continuously open passage formed entirely in said housing and said carburetor and communicating between a source of vacuum and said one chamber, means for supplying air from said induction passage to said one chamber through the other of said chambers, and a centrifugally unbalanced valve rotatably mounted in the end walls of said other chamber and forming a part of said air supply means, said valve being constructed and arranged to cut olf said air supply at some predetermined speed of rotation thereof and thereby apply vacuum to said diaphragm.

3. In a carburetor having an induction passage controlled by a throttle valve urged in the Opening direction by a spring, a combined governor throttle actuator and control valve assembly, said assembly comprising a threepiece housing formed and secured together in a manner to provide a pair of adjacent generally cylindrical and axially-aligned chambers having a common wall therebetween one of said chambers having a flexible diaphragm forming `the other wall thereof, said diaphragm being connected to said throttle valve in a manner to close the same against the force of said spring when subjected to vacuum, a continuously open conduit between a source of vacuum and said one chamber, means for supplying air from said induction passage to said one chamber through the other of said chambers, and a centrifugally unbalanced valve rotatably mounted in the end walls of said other chamber and forming a part of said air supply means, said valve being constructed and arranged to cut ot said air supply al: some predetermined speed of rotation thereof and thereby apply vacuum to said diaphragm.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,329,385 2/1920 Egger 137-56 X 2,651,316 9/1953 Fageol 137-58 X 2,727,715 12/1955 Tuthill 251-368 X 6 2,865,596 12/1958 Monng 251-368 X 2,910,974 11/1959 Caris 123-103 2,911,054 11/1959 Malicki 123-103 X FOREIGN PATENTS 244,034 8/ 1926 Great Britain.

WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner. CLARENCE R. GORDON, ISADOR WEIL, Examiners. 

1. IN A CARBURETOR HAVING AN INDUCTION PASSAGE CONTROLLED BY A THROTTLE VALVE URGED IN THE OPENING DIRECTION BY A SPRING, A COMBINED GOVERNOR THROTTLE ACTUATOR AND CONTROL VALVE ASSEMBLY, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A HOUSING FORMED IN MANNER TO PROVIDE A PAIR OF ADJACENT GENERALLY CYLINDRIACL AND AXIALLY-ALIGNED CHAMBERS HAVING A COMMON END WALL THEREBETWEEN, ONE OF SAID CHAMBERS HAVING A FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM FORMING THE OTHER END WALL THEREOF, SAID DIAPHRAGM BEING CONNECTED TO SAID THROTTLE VALVE IN A MANNER TO CLOSE THE SAME AGAINST THE FORCE OF SAID SPRING WHEN SUBJECTED TO VACUUM, A CONTINUOUSLY OPEN CONDUIT BETWEEN A SOURCE OF VACUUM AND SAID ONE CHAMBER, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR FROM SAID INDUCTION 